Secret Santa and the Golden Ticket
by callumrogers7
Summary: An AU Christmas story. The Captain doesn't get engaged to the Baroness. And Maria doesn't return to the von Trapp villa after running away to the Abbey, so outside influences pull together to reunite her with the Captain. Will they succeed? Lovingly dedicated to wildmeiling - Merry Christmas!
1. Secret Santa and the Golden Ticket

**A/N:** As well as being my first ever fanfiction, this story is part of the Proboard Gift Exchange, excellently dreamt up by Lemacd. My festive tale is dedicated to wildmeiling :) Merry Christmas to you, as well as everyone from the Proboard and anyone else who kindly gives this story the time of day. Please enjoy it. I do not own anything to do with The Sound of Music.

* * *

 **Secret Santa and the Golden Ticket**

It was the very first day of November and Baroness Elsa von Schraeder had been laying low in her study for half the day. Usually, she only ever spent time in this particular room when dealing with her extensive portfolio of business interests, but today was an exception. Today, Elsa was a woman on a covert mission to do a good deed. Therefore, all the household staff, at her opulent estate in Vienna, had been briefed with strict instructions that she was NOT to be disturbed, not under ANY circumstances.

The study was a bright and breezy room. The walls were painted a cheerful lemon colour and above the cream, marble fireplace hung a gold mirror with cherubs guarding each corner. The bookcases and desk were hand-carved from oak and a large, antique, Chinese rug - in bold shades of blue and yellow - hugged the coffee brushed floorboards. Elsa always thought it ironic that this room was quite a relaxing place to spend time in, considering she used it essentially for when she was conducting high powered negotiations or cutting deals. **Perhap** s **business can be mixed with pleasure, after all** , she mused wryly, shaking her head and smiling.

Sitting comfortably at her desk, Elsa had been beavering away, all morning, at drafting her devious plan onto a piece of paper. Now though, it was time to get the ball rolling and put it into action, so she picked up the telephone, perused her long list of contacts and got straight to work.

* * *

As time flew by, it was as though Elsa was stuck on repeat - pacing back and forth frantically, making numerous phone calls to people in high places, taking a sip of Jägertee to ward off the bitter chill of Autumn, scribbling notes down on a jotter, adding a log to the fire to keep warm, puffing on a cigarette, and then going through the whole laborious process again and again.

Elsa would much rather be out to lunch with her circle of close friends at some high-class establishment or other, sampling only the very finest delicacies that Austria had to offer. However, she shoved that selfish notion to the furthest recesses of her mind and instead, refocussed on the matter in hand. Elsa was determined to push on with her scheme to make some magic happen during the impending festive season, as well as right a few wrongs.

Taking a quick break to pick at one of Chef's delicious Linzer cookies, Elsa smirked, amused by her own random thoughts. She was starting to sympathize with squirrels, who hibernate for the winter, nothing but a few nuts and berries to sustain them. She had only been stuck within the confines of four walls for a matter of hours and she felt positively glum, to say the least. **I wouldn't like to be reincarnated as a squirrel, that's for sure** , she reflected, rolling her eyes and chuckling.

Elsa despised being home alone. She couldn't stomach being haunted by the ghosts of a happy marriage past. After a long period of mourning her husband's unforeseen death, just over four years ago, Elsa had made a conscious decision to occupy her mind by attending lavish balls and swanky soirées, by gossiping gaily with her socialite friends and by soaking herself in Champagne whenever possible.

Elsa always theorized that staying active was the only antidote available for missing her dearest Sebastian so much. Some might say that she was running away from her grief and her memories, but reverting to the pampered lifestyle she had enjoyed before getting married provided her with a purpose at least, as shallow as it was. It was a simple equation really. . .if Elsa kept moving, she wouldn't have too much time to dwell on the wretched night a stroke had so cruelly claimed Sebastian's life. . .and in a way, hers.

Polishing off the last piece of her biscuit, Elsa cleared her thoughts, picked the telephone up once more, dialled the all too familiar number and waited for a response.

"Captain von Trapp's residence. . .Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper, speaking. How may I help you?" the courteous voice on the other end of the line asked.

"Ah, good afternoon, Frau Schmidt! This is Baroness Schraeder. I would like to speak to Herr Detweiler please. . .um. . .but the thing is. . .you see. . .I don't really want the Captain to know I'm calling. It's. . .ah. . .complicated," Elsa stated rather awkwardly.

"That might be tricky, Baroness. They're both in the salon with the children, immersed in quite a competitive card game of some sort or other, I believe," the housekeeper replied.

"Frau Schmidt. . .I know this is highly irregular, but could you perhaps inform Max that Sasha Petrie is on the line? That way, he will be quite pleasantly surprised when he hears my voice instead," Elsa suggested laughingly and hoped that the housekeeper would play along with her little, white lie.

The housekeeper was curious indeed. On the face of it, the Captain and the Baroness had parted ways 'amicably' a month or two ago, killing stone dead widespread rumours of a wedding on the cards for the long-term, courting couple. However, to contradict that popular belief, Frau Schmidt had been making her way upstairs to bed one evening, around two weeks ago and had heard a quick-fire of obscenities thundering out from behind the door of the Captain's study.

She had also heard testaments of hatred - such as 'That manipulative bitch!', 'I could throttle Elsa!' and 'If words could kill, I would bloody well spell out her name right now!' - turning the air blue at the villa. . .sentiments that were far from 'amicable'. Frau Schmidt was long enough in the tooth to know that there was a hell of a lot more to this situation than met the eye, particularly with Baroness Schraeder wanting to avoid the Captain all of a sudden.

The housekeeper did not really like the idea of deceiving the Captain. He had always been a considerate and very generous employer. The idea of being disloyal to the Austrian war hero did not sit well with her either, but in this specific case, she considered it prudent to err on the side of caution as she wasn't in possession of the full facts.

"Well. . .I don't see that it would do any harm, just this once. I'll go and get Herr Detweiler for you, Baroness," Frau Schmidt agreed.

 **(Silence)**

Elsa tapped the toe-end of her stiletto impatiently against the wooden floor, while on hold, until she finally heard Max's annoyed voice upon the line.

"Sasha! If you're phoning again just to boast about stealing The Toby Reiser Quintet from under my nose, I have much better fish to fry!" he huffed and Elsa smiled, imagining plumes of steam whistling out of his ears.

"Aww! Poor little Maxi! And there was me thinking that Sasha Petrie would have to be an early REISER to get one over on you," she tormented and laughed, pretty proud of her clever pun.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Elsa! Ha! Ha! You want to be careful. If you are any sharper, you'll cut yourself," he jokingly fumed, before the penny finally dropped that he'd expected to speak to Herr Petrie, a fellow impresario and his fiercest rival. "Hang on a minute! Frau Schmidt said-"

"All part of my master-plan to not alert Georg to my call. Now, Max, I don't have any time to waste making idle chit-chat. I need your help. I'm Georg's self-appointed Secret Santa, so how would you like to be my 'Head Elf'?" Elsa interjected.

Max sighed heavily, "Elsa, darling, are you feeling alright? I am not sure it's MY help you need if you think you can win Georg back. Ever since Maria did her Harry Houdini act, he's been a right old gloomy-puss. If he smiled, he'd make his backside jealous! The only time he makes ANY sort of concerted effort to appear cheerful is when the children are around." He paused for a moment before his voice grew uncharacteristically serious, "Elsa, ah, listen, I had to tell him. . .WHY Maria left. . .I'm sorry. I couldn't sit back and watch him blame himself constantly."

There was a long, deafening silence before anyone spoke again.

"It's alright, Max. I'm only sorry I didn't have the courage to tell Georg what I did to Maria myself. He should've heard it from me. You did the right thing and I don't want to win him back. I DO, on the other hand, want to atone for my despicable actions and I intend on delivering the perfect Christmas gift to him. With your help, of course," she insisted.

"Jumping Jehosaphat, Elsa! Georg thinks you chased Maria into the arms of the Lord and just as he was about to sweep her into his! He won't be bought off with mere trinkets!" he snapped.

Max had a huge soft spot for Elsa. He admired her greatly, but was pretty annoyed that she was being so feather-brained about the whole sorry affair. As far as he was concerned, she'd planted a metaphysical grenade at the von Trapp villa on the evening of the 'grand and glorious' party. Then Elsa had walked away from the scene of the crime and had left him to deal with the fallout - primarily, eight casualties. . .whose lives had been adversely affected by the psychological warfare that Elsa had waged against Maria.

Max knew that underneath her cool exterior, Elsa had a good heart and wasn't a vengeful person. He knew that she had only pressured Maria into returning to Nonnberg Abbey out of a selfish desire to protect her floundering relationship with Georg and she had done so without thinking of the consequences. Despite all that, what peeved Max now was the fact Elsa was adding insult to injury by thinking that Georg could so easily be won over by material items, that he could be distracted like a cat with a shiny, new toy and just forget all about her subversive shenanigans.

Max knew that that was far from the truth. Georg's forgiveness wouldn't be forthcoming for the woman who'd chased away his true love. Max knew that because HE was the one who was having to sit up until the wee hours with Georg, night after night, watching him anaesthetize his body with alcohol to nurse the nagging pain of yet another broken heart. HE was the one who was having to watch Georg pretend to be happy in front of the children and then turn into a little boy lost - alone and vulnerable - once they had gone to bed.

As for the children, all seven had become somewhat subdued and withdrawn since Maria had left. Max was having to resort to bribery to even get them to sing these days, but as their adopted uncle, he was prepared to stick around and do whatever it took to cheer them up. He would be there to support them and Georg in their hour of need.

Elsa's smoky voice snapped Max from his depressing deliberation.

"Max, you misjudge me without a second thought. What I have for Georg is infinitely more precious than 'a mere trinket' as you put it. . .the gift I plan to drop into the Captain's noble, yet virile lap is. . .Maria," she revealed dramatically.

"Really, my dear? And pray tell, ah, just WHO is the time-travelling machine supplier that's enabling you to perform such an amazing feat? Is it Sasha Petrie? Is that how he's getting to all the best acts before me? I only ask, because the good Captain is adamant that Maria is now a nun and out of his grasp forever," he countered sarcastically.

"Poppycock! I spoke to the Reverend Mother of Nonnberg not an hour ago and according to her, Maria has left the Abbey. In fact, she lives and works in Mondsee. She is a dressmaker and doing well, so I hear. Now. . .I have a foolproof plan to reunite her with the Captain, all I need is a very charming accomplice. What do you say to that, Maxi, baby?" Elsa purred.

"I say. . .tell me every teensy, weensy detail of your plan. . .and by the way, just call me 'Head Elf'," he complied and chortled.

* * *

 **Feel free to leave a review - good or bad - any suggestions as to where I could improve it are welcome too. Thanks for reading.**


	2. The Madness of Baron Georg

**A/N:** This chapter is quite downbeat, but sometimes we have to go through bad times to fully appreciate the good. Stick with me here.

* * *

 **The Madness of Baron Georg**

Captain Georg von Trapp swished some whiskey and ice around in a tumbler and stared vacantly at the vast acreage of his villa from the study. Darkness had rapidly descended upon Salzburg as is typical in the Autumn. A mist had dissolved the trees off in the distance and light rain was persistently tapping out a funereal beat on the window, evocative of Georg's black mood. He stood there like a statue and was mesmerized by the raindrops that were trickling sadly down the panes of glass. They reminded him of tears, tears he stubbornly refused to set free for fear of never being able to stem the tide. He felt as though even dear Mother Nature was goading him.

He trudged over to his desk, threw himself into his chair petulantly, downed his drink and then slammed the tumbler onto the desktop. Picking up one of the two photos on display there, he exhaled heavily. Georg traced the image with his index finger, which lingered on the face of the lovely, young woman in it. He began to stroke the snapshot gently where his finger laid. It was as if he was trying desperately to draw out the woman's essence or will her in front of him or even, find a hidden portal to transport himself back to that happy point in time.

The photograph was of himself, surrounded by his seven children and their governess, Maria. It had been taken on a picnic up in the mountains during the summer. Georg's eyes scanned the blissful scene, but it only served to poke salt into his wounds and expose his pain.

The overwhelming pressure he felt to hide behind an upbeat alter ego for the sake of his children, so as to hoodwink them into thinking nothing was wrong, was becoming quite unbearable. Georg felt so world weary. He was playing the part of a happy and attentive father, but at the very same time, emitting a silent scream from inside, a scream born from sorrow. His stress often materialized in the form of a throbbing ache in his head, making him feel as if a bear held his temple in a vice-like grip. However, THAT was nothing compared to the piercing stabs he felt in his heart. He felt as if THAT organ had been incarcerated in a cage made from barbed wire and deduced that it was most likely God's double-edged form of punishment for him. Georg had entertained the idea of stealing away one of the Lord's servants - a postulant no less - selfishly keeping her all to himself and now he was paying the price. The searing pain in his heart would forever serve as a reminder of the sin that Georg had committed. He'd been tempted by Maria, a forbidden fruit, and had been more than willing to pluck her from God's own tree, regardless of the damnation he would face. He considered himself no better than Adam.

A creature of habit, Georg had gone through the same ritual every evening, ever since Maria had quite literally waltzed out of his life. Once his children were safe in the 'Land of Nod', he whiled away the hours wallowing in the past and drinking to numb his sense of isolation, his sense of loss. Georg was trapped deep within a half-world of clinging memories. . .memories dominated by a woman he loved to the point of obsession, memories evoked by the woman that he would never ever see again.

Memories were all Georg had left of Maria now. Well. . .actually. . .memories, petty recriminations, endless questions and the gaping chasm she had dug into his heart the moment she'd abandoned him and his children. Belatedly, he had been told by Max what had happened at the 'grand and glorious' party. Max had spoken words to the effect of, 'Elsa nudged Maria towards the Abbey with a little bit of pretty persuasion in order to oust her competition for your affections, Georg. You didn't do anything to upset Maria and you can't keep torturing yourself. It was all Elsa's doing.'

Despite that stark revelation, Georg could not wrap his head around why Maria had left. . .without even giving him the right to defend himself against any of the unfair insinuations that Elsa had made behind his back and he couldn't understand why Maria had left. . .without even saying 'goodbye'. He was certain he had done nothing to be deserving of that kind of callous disregard from her. The more he sat contemplating these things, the more anger and resentment started to ooze through the pores of his skin.

"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu?! Christ, don't make me laugh! I wasn't afforded any of those words! Yet, I still love you, Maria. Not that you care. Why would you? I'm just a bloody love-blind fool. . .an archaic relic left over from a once great nation. I'm just a tired, old, sea Captain with nothing to offer a bright, young spirit like you. You were well-advised to run, Maria. I just hope you and God are happy together!" Georg recited out loud with a hint of alcohol induced bitterness invading his state of mind.

Still staring at the family snapshot, he started to think about the fact that she was almost certainly a nun by now - Sister Maria - and it turned his stomach, caused him to shiver. All of a sudden, he felt as though he was detached from reality, locked in an invisible bubble. Time seemed to slow down. His vision and his sense of sound seemed distorted too, as Georg reached the same sorry conclusion that he appeared to reach every God-damned night. . .Maria was gone forever and he would never see her again, let alone get the chance to profess his love to her. She would never be the one to ease his place in this world.

He could feel the corners of his eyes tingling, but squeezed back any rebellious tears that threatened to dent his male ego and his pride, even if his soul WAS bleeding. With quivering hands, Georg picked up the almost empty decanter upon his desk and shakily refilled his tumbler. Then, refocussing his eyes on the smiling Maria in the picture, he raised his glass up into the air and plastered a phony smirk on his face.

"Here's to you, Fräulein Maria. May I wish you every happiness," he toasted, before draining the glass.

Once Georg had finished his drink, he set the tumbler and the photograph down. Bleary eyed and exhausted, he broke into a contrived chuckle, followed by a hysterical laugh as he positioned his forearms upon the desktop and laid his head down on top of them. His body convulsed with laughter until his belly ached with a sharp stitch. Then, just like earlier when immense pressure in the clouds had given way to rain, Georg von Trapp's laughing abruptly stopped and all of his bottled up emotions burst forth in the form of tears.

* * *

Max arrived downstairs, unusually bright and early, ready to fulfil his duties as 'Head Elf'. He patted his right breast pocket furtively and hoped that what he had stashed away in there would be the catalyst to propel Georg and the family onto a path of 'good tidings, comfort and joy' for Christmas.

The festive season had been wilfully neglected by the von Trapps, ever since Georg's wife and the children's mother, Agathe, had passed away, a victim of the Scarlet Fever epidemic that had ravaged Salzburg. Instead of walking in 'A Winter Wonderland', each Christmas time had been spent in a cold, harsh, barren environment, devoid of any fun or laughter. 'A Bleak Mid-winter' would sum it up more accurately.

Max knew that it was time for a change and prayed this Christmas would be a special one for the von Trapps, one which would live long in the memory. It was only what a God fearing, law-abiding, decent family like them deserved. Thinking about these things, Max knew he had made the right decision when agreeing to collude with Elsa in order to bring Maria back into their lives. If anyone could drag the von Trapp family out of their apathy and add a touch of pizazz to the festive season, it was Maria.

He strolled briskly to the study and knocked on the door, expecting to find Georg mulling around. He could hear groaning from behind the door, but got no reply, so Max walked inside and shut the door behind him. He turned around and was dismayed by the sight before him. Georg was sat in his chair with his body sprawled untidily across the desk and his head appeared to be lying on top of a photograph. He was still dressed in the same suit from yesterday and two empty decanters flanked him. Max felt guilty that he hadn't been around last night to keep an eye on Georg, but he'd had to meet with Elsa to collect the envelopes off her. He tutted, shaking his head from side to side, and approached his friend. He would have to get Georg up and about before he could speak to him.

* * *

 **An hour later in the study** -

"Ah, Georg, nice to see you vertical at last," Max quipped.

"Max! If you've come here just to annoy me, then-" Georg grumpily began.

"No, no, no. At ease, Captain. Actually, I, ah, came to deliver this. An intriguing looking thing, I'm sure you'll agree. It arrived this morning and I received one too," Max interrupted and passed his friend a red, velvet pouch enclosed by a drawstring at the top of it.

Georg stared suspiciously at the item. It fit rather snugly in his hand, yet the weight of it felt heavy upon his palm. His name and address were printed on the card attached to it. He opened it up, took out the contents and was rather taken aback by what he found. It was an invitation in the shape of a full face mask. It was made of 24 carat gold and it had a musical score emblazoned across it, intricately painted in black.

 **Somebody has gone to a lot of trouble with these extravagant invitations. Obviously somebody with more money than sense** , Georg surmised.

He inspected it again closely and noticed that it was from Wilhelm Miklas, the President of Austria and Kurt von Schuschnigg, the Chancellor. Georg knew both men, but not well enough to understand why they desired his company, or Max's come to that, at their ball.

"Quite exciting, don't you think so? It's an invitation to the infamous Christmas Eve Eve Masquerade Ball at Hofburg Palace. It is being held in the Redouten Wing. If I remember rightly, I read somewhere that Maria Theresia had an opera house converted into the dance halls there. It must be fate, my friend. . .ah. . .you should definitely attend," Max explained.

"Max, I don't think-"

"Georg, invitations to this ball are like gold dust, you know. Not just anyone can turn up and a short jaunt to Vienna will do you good. A beano for the boys, just like old times. You must admit, you could do with a change of scenery, old man," Max pushed.

"Max. . .really I-"

"Come on, Georg! I don't want to go alone, it won't be any fun at all. And anyway, you could use the gathering to glean information about the political situation. We will leave on the stroke of midnight just like Cinderella and we will both be back in time to enjoy Christmas Eve with the children. Please, say you'll come. . .do it for me," Max cut in again and looked at his friend beseechingly.

Georg surveyed the man in front of him and Max did put forth a strong case for attending the ball. Georg COULD do with a break to clear his head and no matter how devastated he was about Maria, he knew he couldn't take his eye off the ball where the approaching Anschluss was concerned. Plus, in all honesty, Max had always been there for him and he didn't want to let his loyal companion down.

He sighed in a resigned manner and replied, "Okay, okay then. If it stops you nagging me like an old woman. Okay, I'll go."

"Top man!" Max chuckled, silently thanking Elsa for suggesting he use the political situation to cajole Georg into 'making the correct decision' and going to Vienna.

 **Worked like a charm. Phase One of mission 'Secret Santa'** - **Cleared** , he thought.

* * *

 **I must admit that I was inspired to write this chapter after watching The Fall of the Roman Empire. I thought the bitter madness of Commodus (also played by Christopher Plummer) would suit the character of the Captain down to the ground too. I imagine that alcohol would bring out Georg's cynical, dark and brooding side, so that's the vibe I went for. Hope you all like it ;)**


	3. All Things Must Pass

**(*)** These lyrics are from All Things Must Pass by George Harrison. Unfortunately I cannot take any credit for them, but they seemed to fit the scene nicely.

* * *

 **All Things Must Pass**

The afternoon murk gave way to a feeble shaft of sunlight and Maria Rainer glanced up at the overcast sky to see grey clouds rushing by. She listened to the rustling of leaves as they scrunched underneath her feet and revelled in the snap of twigs being broken up by the sturdy, rubber soles of her tan, leather boots. The distinct evidence of autumn made her crack a small smile as she wandered back to work after lunch.

Maria was lost in thought. So much had changed so quickly for her over the past few months. Sometimes it felt as if life was speeding up and whizzing by her, almost like the clouds she was staring at.

Maria suddenly diverted the trajectory of her gaze and eyed the leaves upon the ground. They had changed their appearance by taking on new colours - browns like bright copper kettles, rusty reds, buttery yellows and fiery oranges. They had drifted from their homes on the trees and were now waiting to see where the breeze would carry them. That struck a sharp chord with Maria. She, herself, had changed her appearance by ditching her postulant uniform forever. Then, similar to the leaves, she had drifted away from the place she had considered to be her home, Nonnberg Abbey, and was now living in Mondsee, waiting to find out where fate would carry her next.

As Maria dawdled around the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment. A statuesque woman, with platinum blonde hair poking out from underneath her blue headscarf, stepped out of the shop where Maria worked as a dressmaker. She stretched her neck a bit to try and get a clearer view of her, because the woman seemed to be vaguely familiar. Alas, it was to no avail, as the woman jumped into a waiting car that sped down the street and out of sight. Maria shook her head dismissively from side to side, approached the boutique and was welcomed inside by the light tinkling of the bell above the door.

As Maria closed the door behind her, the lady proprietor of the shop - Frau Alese Geiszler - marched out of the back room. She was in her mid thirties, had auburn hair which was shoulder length, green eyes and a pale, but pretty complexion.

"Ah, there you are, Maria! You're a few minutes late, but since I've got rather good news for us and you came so highly recommended by the Reverend Mother of Nonnberg, I'm going to pretend I haven't noticed," Alese laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry for being late, really I am and what's the good news, Alese?" Maria inquired.

"Well, first and most excitingly, we have been personally invited to Vienna to attend the Christmas Eve Eve Masquerade Ball at Hofburg Palace. Look at this! Our invitations were delivered whilst you were having your lunch!" Alese exclaimed, handing a red, velvet pouch to her employee and friend.

Maria took the object and stared at it suspiciously. She held it in both hands as it seemed to be quite heavy. Her name and the shop's address were printed upon the card attached to the drawstring. Maria opened it up, took out the contents and was rather stunned by what she found. It was an invitation in the form of a full face mask. It was made of 24 carat gold and had a musical score emblazoned across it, intricately painted in black.

 **Wow! As nice as this is, whoever sent it could've saved money by using ordinary card invites and donating the amount left to charity. Obviously somebody with more money than sense has sent it** , Maria mused.

She inspected the invite closely and noticed that it was from Wilhelm Miklas, the President of Austria and Kurt von Schuschnigg, the Chancellor. She had heard of both men, but couldn't understand why they'd deemed it befitting to invite her and her employer to their ball. It was curious indeed, although she would be delighted to attend. She wasn't one for looking a gift-horse in the mouth.

The voice of Alese snapped Maria from her thoughts, "Isn't it thrilling? We will have a lovely time, Maria. It will be an ideal chance to drum up business too if we wear our own gorgeous creations."

Maria giggled. "Never miss an opportunity to advertise, hey? And yes, I'm sure we WILL enjoy it. It will be a unique experience. Anyway, I had better go and get some work done," she chirped and made her way into the studio at the back of the shop.

* * *

Maria was sitting quietly at her workstation, just finishing off a tricky bit of embroidery upon the sleeve of a dress for a very well-to-do woman, who was expecting to collect the garment tomorrow morning. As Maria worked on the fiddly coat of arms detail, that had caused her to impale her thumb on her sewing needle more than once, her mind sent her hurtling back in time to daydream about the very well-to-do MAN, who was never far away from her thoughts.

 **Flashback** -

As the grandfather clock chimes signalled that it was eleven o'clock, Maria crept down the staircase with her bag in one hand and her guitar in the other, hoping to God that everybody else at the villa would be fast asleep. She made it to the front door, unseen and unheard, and snook outside into the darkness.

"Phew!" Maria sighed and roamed over to the boat launch.

Shutting the iron gates behind her, she walked over to the water's edge and pulled off her shoes, throwing them onto the marble slates. Then, rummaging in her bag, she pulled out two small tea-lights, a box of matches and a photo frame. She laid out the items next to her pink shoes. Maria's parents had both tragically died in a car accident, eighteen years ago today, and both had been pronounced dead at half past eleven, at least, that's what it had said on their death certificates. Maria hoped dearly that her parents were looking down on her and were proud of what they saw. She was here now to honour the memory of her mother and father. She missed them so much.

It was a warm, clear, summer night. She sat down, dangled her legs in the water, strummed her guitar and started to sing a tribute -

 **Sunrise doesn't last all morning. (* - See note)**  
 **A cloudburst doesn't last all day.**  
 **Seems my love is up and has left you with no warning.**  
 **It's not always going to be this grey.**

 **All things must pass. All things must pass away.**

 **Sunset doesn't last all evening.**  
 **A mind can blow those clouds away.**  
 **After all this, my love is up and must be leaving.**  
 **It's not always going to be this grey.**

 **All things must pass. All things must pass away.**

 **None of life's strings can last.**  
 **So, I must be on my way and face another day.**

 **Now the darkness only stays the night-time.**  
 **In the morning it will fade away.**  
 **Daylight is good at arriving at the right time.**  
 **It's not always going to be this grey.**

 **All things must pass. All things must pass away.**

As the concluding notes of the melody faded away, Captain von Trapp's gentle voice startled Maria, "As beautiful as that was. . .uh. . .what are you doing out here all alone at this time of night, Fräulein? Anyone could be lurking about."

Despite the circumstances, she turned her head, smirked, looked up at him pointedly and said, "Obviously."

He chuckled at her jibe, her quick-wit never failed to intrigue him and lift his spirits.

"You know what I mean," he purred, gazing into her eyes. Then, inspecting the scene before him, he spoke again, but in an incensed tone as he jerked his head in every direction to search the grounds, "Hang on! Why the candles?! What are you up to?! Are you sure that you're out here alone, because if I find out-"

"Of course I'm here alone. . .well, I was. . .I mean, you're here now," Maria interrupted and wondered why the Captain's mood had turned on a sixpence. "I thought I would light some candles in memory of my parents, that's all. It's the eighteenth anniversary of their deaths, they were killed in a car crash when I was six," she divulged forlornly, knowing it was better to tell him the truth before he grilled her.

The Captain took a deep breath to calm the green-eyed monster that had just been 'lurking' within him for one foolish moment. Then he took off his shoes and socks, and rolled up his trouser legs to just below his knees.

"I'm sorry, Fräulein. I don't know what come over me. Uh, may I?" he asked and sat down beside her when she nodded her consent, dangling his legs in the water too. "You could have told me what you were planning earlier, you know. I'm here for you, Maria, you don't have to do this alone," he offered softly.

Maria stared at him, paralysed and unable to avert her eyes for a few seconds that seemed to last a lifetime. It was the first time the Captain had called her by her Christian name and it made her stomach churn. She nodded, took a match out of the box, struck it and lit the tea-lights. Maria then deposited the two tea-lights on the lake's shimmering surface and looked at the only photo of her parents that she had left, as the candles floated away poignantly with the current.

As Maria kept her eyes glued to the photograph in her hands, tracing over it with her finger occasionally, the Captain watched her intently. She seemed so far away. He remained silent, even though it was a struggle to do so. He wished to hold her near, to squeeze away her pain, to be her shoulder to cry on. And that wish was soon granted as he observed a tear-drop creating a small stream upon the photo-frame. The Captain inched towards Maria, curled his arm around her and whispered words of support to her until she was ready to return to the villa.

 **(End of flashback)**

An acute, prickling sensation at the tip of her finger dragged her back to reality and she realized that she had punctured herself with the needle yet again.

"OUCH! This coat of arms is going to have a few of my poor fingers stitched to it if I'm not more careful! Thank God it's Friday!" Maria cried out loud in frustration and sucked her injured finger.

Maria had been so wrapped up in her blanket of warm memories, she hadn't even paid any attention to what she was doing and furthermore, it was becoming a habit. More and more often, Maria's mind was conjuring up vivid replays of the time she'd spent with Captain von Trapp while working as his children's governess during the summer months and more and more often, her consciousness was tuning out from the real world around her. She was entangled in a web of retrospection and the shadow of the Captain was looming large over her, just ready to devour her soul.

She felt like she was on autopilot; her body was in motion, but she no longer had any control over her life or her emotions. It didn't take much to trigger a barrage of haunting memories that revolved around the man she'd fallen in love with either. Everything reminded Maria of Captain von Trapp. Even the blue, silky fabric that she was working with now reminded her of his striking, ultramarine eyes. And the worse thing about the situation was. . .memories were all that Maria had left of him, were all she would ever have of him, because his precious heart belonged to another woman. . .Baroness Elsa von Schraeder. . .probably Baroness Elsa von Trapp by now. Similar to the memory that Maria had been lost in minutes ago, a sad, solitary tear-drop rolled off her cheek and onto the wooden workbench. But only this time, no one was there to comfort her. Captain von Trapp was out of her life forever. Maria would have to find a way to move on. . .perhaps starting with attending the ball.

* * *

 **Okay, that's all of the depressing stuff out the way, read on for some Christmas cheer. Lol (An interesting side-note is that the surname of Maria's employer, Geiszler, means 'Goatherd')**


	4. A Time For Forgiveness

**A/N:** I've made the Baroness a heroine in this story, which means she'll probably be a villain if I attempt any-more fanfiction. Teaser. Hehe!

* * *

 **A Time For Forgiveness**

On Friday, Maria had expressed joy at seeing the back of the working week and now it was Monday, she was just as glad to see the back of the weekend too. She was wishing her life away and she knew it, another habit that Maria had acquired of late. The weekend had seemed to drag it's feet somewhat, like a child in the midst of a temper tantrum; every second had seemed like a minute and every minute had seemed like an hour to her.

Maria had made the resolution to move on with her life, to exorcise the ghosts that prowled the lonely corridors of her mind and to forget about her summer in Aigen with the von Trapp family. . .with the Captain. But at times like the weekend, that was easier said than done. She had not really lived in Mondsee long enough to make any friends yet. There was Alese, but she had spent the weekend in Innsbruck visiting her brother, so Maria had been left alone for two whole days with only her traitorous thoughts to keep her company.

The weekend was behind her now, however, and she was ready to face a new day, a new week and with any luck, a new era. Busying her mind with work would be the ideal distraction, just the tonic she needed.

Maria was greeted by Alese as she walked into the studio, "Good morning. There's a cup of tea on your bench for you."

"Thank you. I'll have a quick drink, check the order book and get started on my to-do list then," Maria proposed cheerily.

"Oh, erm, well actually. . .there's no need for you to do that. I have a special project for you. On Friday when I said I had good news and I told you about the ball, what with all the excitement, I forgot to tell you about the second thing that happened while you were out," Alese disclosed sheepishly.

"Second thing? I don't understand," Maria uttered, frowning in confusion.

"Well, an aristocratic lady came into the shop and made a request for a ball gown of the highest quality be made, with no expense spared. And the strangest thing about it was, she said she was an old friend of yours. I don't know how you met the woman, Maria, but I couldn't picture her in a wimple," Alese jested. "She was very insistent that YOU be the one to design the dress and make it. . .she said she wanted nothing but the best as it was going to be a gift for someone very special. I took all the details and left them in the order book," she explained.

Alese picked up the ledger, flicked through it to find the correct page and gave it to Maria. "Here it is, Baroness Schraeder, she said her name was. . .seemed nice enough. I jotted down the measurements, but another thing struck me as odd. She wants no input on the design, she said she wants YOU to create a dress to die for, something YOU would dream of wearing yourself," she added.

Maria's eyes bulged in shock when she heard who the latest order was for and her rosy cheeks were overpowered by a slightly anaemic shade. Baroness Elsa von Schraeder. . .Maria never thought she would hear that darn woman's name ever again, hoped with all of her heart that she wouldn't. Maria wondered how on earth the Baroness had even tracked her down and more to the point, why. She hadn't exchanged more than a thimbleful of words with Maria when they had met at the von Trapp villa during the summer. The only occasion they had spoken properly had been on the evening of the party, when the shrewd socialite had accused Maria of being in love with Captain von Trapp and had implied that he was infatuated with Maria.

 **"What makes it so nice is he thinks he's in love with you. He'll get over it soon enough, I think. . .Men do, you know."**

Those words of cold-blooded candour from the mouth of the Baroness had cut Maria deep with calculated precision. Those few words had done untold damage. They had caused Maria to doubt herself, doubt her theistic path in life, even doubt the Captain's intentions towards her. They had sent her running back to Nonnberg Abbey and away from the family she adored and loved. Just thinking about those words caused her no end of pain.

Maria was curious about why the Baroness had gone out of her way to travel to Mondsee to seek her out. . .maybe she intended to rub Maria's nose in her matrimonial bliss or perhaps she was on a quest for vengeance. She wanted to know why the Baroness had described her as 'an old friend' and why she was still going under the name of von Schraeder if she was married. There were so many questions whirling around Maria's mind, making her feel dizzy.

"Maria, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Alese inquired, looking concerned.

"No. . .Yes, I'm fine. Just Monday morning blues. I'll get my thinking cap on and get to work on something that will knock the Baroness dead," she stuttered.

She sat down and drank her tea absent-mindedly. She did not know what the hell the Baroness was playing at, but Maria decided not to rise to any-more of that woman's mind games. It would only cost her dearly again. Maria put all of her fears aside. She resolved to treat this ball gown with as much professional pride and as much care as usual. She vowed to create something extraordinary.

* * *

The second week of December arriving meant good news and bad news for Maria. The good news was that she had just completed her 'special project'. She looked proudly at the tailor's dummy now, that was sporting the ball gown that she'd worked so hard on for the Baroness. It was everything Maria had hoped it would be and so much more. It was a strapless, sleeveless, navy blue dress with a sweetheart neckline. It was made from taffeta and the floor-length skirt flared out from the body-hugging waist in tiers with a bustle effect. But what made it extra special were the scattered silver sequins on the skirt that made it twinkle like a starry sky at night and the slim band of silver appliqué at the waist. It was indeed a dress to die for and whoever wore it would feel like a princess. . .No, strike that, whoever wore it would LOOK like a princess.

The bad news was that Baroness Schraeder was expected to collect it from the shop today. Maria dreaded facing her, but recalled the words the Reverend Mother had once said to her.

 **"Maria, these walls were not meant to shut out problems. You have to face them."**

At the time, Maria had steadfastly chosen not to follow that advice, had chosen not to return to the von Trapp villa, had chosen not to face up to her problems and look how well that'd turned out. She was stuck in Mondsee with only one real friend. She was sad, lonely and regretting all of her life choices. Well, today would be different. Maria would choose not to cower in the studio, would choose to face her problems and would choose to greet the Baroness with a renewed confidence.

* * *

 **An hour later** -

Maria apprehensively guided Baroness Schraeder into the studio. She really DID want this particular client to be blown away by the dress. She had had time to think long and hard while making it. She felt guilty about what had happened in the summer and wanted to build bridges. The fact that both Maria and the Baroness loved the same man was very unfortunate, but it didn't meant they couldn't be civil to one another. Maria had decided to show off her creation in all it's glory by leaving it on the tailor's dummy. As the two ladies stopped in front of the ball gown, the Baroness gasped and displayed a stunned expression on her face.

"Baroness, if it's not to your taste, I can always make alterations. . .I-" Maria hastily blurted out.

"Maria. . .it's the most beautiful gown I have ever seen! I will definitely tell all my friends about this place. I only wish I was going to be the one wearing it. I wonder whether you could model it for me. I would really love to see what it looks like on and it's about your size," the Baroness enthused and smiled warmly.

"Of course. If I could be of any help," Maria agreed, nodding slowly and smiling. Then she disappeared up the stairs to ask Alese to help her get changed.

She returned fifteen minutes later and was greeted by another gasp from the Baroness, who said, "You look divine, my dear. Do you like it?"

Maria laughed, "Well, I am rather biased, but what's not to like? It's THE dream dress."

The Baroness chuckled and then turned serious, "I'm so glad you feel that way, Maria, because I want you to accept it as a gift along with my apologies for the way I behaved towards you last summer."

"Baroness, you don't have to do th-" Maria started, but was silenced when the socialite held up a firm hand to halt her protesting. She sighed in resignation and smiled. "-I don't know what to say, erm. . .Does the Captain know that you're here?" Maria asked, looking stunned like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"Maria, please call me Elsa and no, Georg won't know that I'm here. Him and I are no longer together. I realised that I wasn't in love with him. I was just in love with the idea of being married again, of recreating what I had with my sweet Seba again, God rest his soul. I thought because Georg and I got on so well, that the rest would follow in time, but I was wrong. Maria, can we put what happened behind us and be friends? I acted foolishly. I didn't mean to hurt you. It would really mean a lot to me if you accepted this dress." The Baroness got her chequebook out to pay for the garment.

Maria was flabbergasted to hear that Elsa wasn't married to the Captain and deep down her heart rejoiced, but she hid her emotions well, not wanting to appear undignified or gloating.

"I'll be happy to accept your gracious gift, Elsa, thank you. After all, Christmas is a time for forgiveness. Friends?" she offered and held out her arms for an embrace.

"Friends," Elsa breathed out in relief and hugged Maria tight to her.

* * *

 **Three cheers for Elsa :D**


	5. A Safe Bet

**A/N:** Hope you're all liking this so far. There will be another chapter to follow this one. . .so stay tuned :)

* * *

 **A Safe Bet**

Georg stood quietly brooding in a vacant corner of the jam-packed ballroom at Hofburg Palace and wondered for the millionth time why he had let Max talk him into attending this ball. He watched on cynically as social climbers huddled together and surreptitiously dished out their asinine judgements on all and sundry while sporting smiles laced with false charm. Those people were the type of bores that Georg detested and would do his best to avoid. He could also see umpteen disciples of Hitler loitering about with intent, no doubt on the look out for dissenting voices and infecting people's ears with poisonous propaganda. Georg did not want to trade blows with those snivelling excuses for men either. There was no one and nothing here for him. He was a man in a crowded room, but he had never felt so alone.

After losing Agathe, Georg had hid behind an unreceptive mask of indifference for too many years. He had shoved away his friends, his family, his children and even Maria when he had met her initially. He desperately wished Maria was with him now. He would give anything to hear her sane voice drown out the murmurings of the madmen that surrounded him. It had been Maria who had helped Georg to cast aside his mask of indifference and step out of the shadows that his life had become. He smiled genuinely thinking about how much she'd changed his life for the better, even if she wasn't around to bear witness to it.

The only mask Georg hid behind now was his Venetian masquerade mask. It was silver with black markings around the cheekbones and had a black and silver headpiece, in the shape of a pirate's hat, attached to it; his jazzy, silver bow tie and black tuxedo finished off his eye-catching ensemble.

Georg scanned the room for Max, who had supposedly gone to fetch drinks for them both, but he could not see him through the many couples who were waltzing upon the dance-floor. He finally spotted Max carrying two flutes of Champagne, but he appeared to be taking a quick detour. Georg surveyed the scene in downright amusement as Max attempted to ask a lady, dressed in a stunning blue dress, for a dance, only to have his advances swiftly rejected. Georg chuckled and couldn't wait to tease his friend about it. **Perhaps** **I will have some fun tonight, after all. . .at Max's expense, of course. Just like the old days** , he reflected.

* * *

Maria arrived at Hofburg Palace with Alese and her brother, Pascal, who had wangled an invite to the ball through some business associates. He was in his late twenties, had fair hair, a kind-natured personality and rugged good looks. As he ushered Maria and Alese into the ballroom, the two women were taken aback by the grandeur of the occasion. It was a fairytale setting.

The three of them positioned themselves by the towering Christmas tree, in the corner of the room, that was adorned with the most exquisite decorations - hand-painted angels, rocking horses, snow-globes, baubles, cuckoo clocks, red and white ribbon. It was very impressive. As Alese and Pascal excused themselves to dance, Maria just stood there, taking in all the splendour. Every so often, she was asked to dance by various males, but politely declined their requests. Maria had not danced since the Ländler she had shared with Captain von Trapp and she didn't really want that perfect memory distorted by dancing with inferior partners tonight. Therefore, she took a flute of Champagne from a passing waiter and happily watched Alese and Pascal spin around the dance-floor.

* * *

Georg took a flute of Champagne off Max and snorted mockingly. "Losing your touch with the fairer sex, Maxi boy? Need some pointers from the master?" he taunted.

"You can't win 'em all. Anyway, I've been watching that woman and she has spurned the advances of at least two dozen men tonight. I'm not the first and I'm sure I won't be the last," Max brushed off nonchalantly.

"Really? Two dozen, you say?" Georg scoffed.

"Well, okay. I exaggerate a bit. Closer to a dozen," Max corrected.

"We've gone from two dozen to a dozen in the space of seconds. Any other offers?" Georg prodded.

"Oh, very well! I've counted seven so far and that's my final word on the matter," Max huffed.

Georg studied the woman. She donned a Venetian, white, masquerade mask with blue around the eyes to match the feathers which sprang out of the top of it. It was only a half mask, so her lips were exposed. He could just tell that the woman was beautiful, even though he couldn't see her face or hair. She was slim, but her gorgeous, blue dress clung to her body and accentuated her curves.

Max's voice broke him from his thoughts, "I don't know why you're being so smug anyway, Captain. I doubt you could get her to dance either. I mean, you can hardly rely on your usual pretty boy routine tonight, since you're wearing a mask. How about we have a little wager? Let's make things interesting."

"Oh-ho! I'm more than just a pretty face, old boy. Name the stake," Georg declared.

"Hmmm," Max drummed his fingers on the gold and black mask that covered his face, "If I win. . .you will represent me at the New Year's Day concert, here in Vienna and sing Edelweiss. If you win. . .I'll pay for you to go to the concert as a spectator, spend the week at a top hotel and I'll even mind the children whilst you're off gallivanting," he challenged.

"Max. . .I don't think-"

"Come now. What's the matter, Georg? Not feeling so confident after all?" Max provoked.

Georg checked the woman out again and realized that he actually wanted to dance with her. There was something truly familiar about her that he annoyingly couldn't put his finger on, something in her manner that his mind could not ignore.

"Very well. Since you're intent on losing. The bet's on. She'll be in my arms before the evening is out," he vowed with more confidence than he felt as he observed her turn yet another gentleman away.

* * *

Maria had just gotten herself a slice of chocolate and strawberry layer gateau from the buffet table and was slowly wandering the room as she ate. She neared a small group of people, who were stood about gossiping, when a brash voice made her stop and earwig on the conversation.

"Yes, that's Captain von Trapp, over there in the silver mask. They say that he's notorious from the waist down, but don't get too emotionally attached, he's still pining for his dead wife. Odd if you ask me," a woman told her pals.

"Oh, I think it's terribly romantic! He can't let her go, just like Heathcliff. You're just sour because he wouldn't dance with you earlier," another lady bitched.

"Oh balderdash! I didn't want to dance with him anyway! I just felt sorry for him, stuck in the corner all alone. I don't want to end up like that pitiful governess he hired. . .used and then discarded like yesterday's newspaper," the woman argued.

Maria had heard enough, she could feel her blood boiling and scampered away quickly, before she did something she regretted to those bags of wind.

* * *

Maria once again found herself standing by the Christmas tree. The twinkling, white lights were calming her soul. She had decided to ignore the vicious slander falling carelessly from the lips of those witless women. They were fountains of misinformation as far as she was concerned and no one with half a brain would take them seriously. No, Maria was more disturbed by the fact that her sea Captain was there. She didn't know what to do for the best. She wondered if Captain von Trapp knew SHE was at the ball, wondered if SHE should go talk to him, wondered who he was with. She knew that if she didn't grasp the bull by the horns, she might never get another opportunity to see him again. Just as Maria was indecisively debating what course of action to take, she saw Captain von Trapp pat another man upon the back and approach her. **Oh help** , she thought.

* * *

Georg had quaffed a glass or two of Champagne to steady his nerves. There was a lot riding on this bet. Of course, his pride was at stake and he certainly didn't want to sing in public, but it wasn't just that. He had a strange sense of déjà vu too that he couldn't seem to shake. His eyes had followed the mysterious woman in the blue dress with rapt attention all night, even before he had made the ridiculous bet with Max. There was just something in the way she moved, in the way she walked, in the way she looked, that made Georg want to carry out a closer inspection and talk to her. He patted Max on the back.

"If I'm not back in ten minutes, don't bother with a search party. Hopefully, I'll be. . .uh. . .tied up for the night," he cheekily wisecracked and straightened his bow tie before strutting his way across the room.

Once Georg was out of earshot, Max chuckled to himself, "I'm counting on it, old friend."

He glanced over at a woman on the other side of the room, who wore a Venetian, half, masquerade mask in the form of a cat, and Max gave her a thumbs up signal. She could only grin widely in return.

* * *

As Georg stepped a little closer to the mysterious woman in the blue dress, his eyes appraised her body. She was ravishing. She had alabaster skin that seemed to provide her with an elysian glow under the lighting of the chandeliers. She was slender and at the same time, shapely. He could just about make out that she had a piercing pair of eyes that were dripping blue and looking right into his, through the holes in her mask. Once he was able to tear his eyes away from her penetrating gaze, he homed in on her lips. She had pink, heart-shaped lips, just like the ones he had dreamt about constantly since the beginning of the summer, lips that needed no introduction. He paused in his approach and swallowed hard. It had to be Maria. Georg had spent so much time lost in his picture of her, he would recognize her anywhere. He pinched the skin on his wrist. He wondered if he would wake up, any moment now, to the heartbreaking realisation that she wasn't really there, that she was still just a ripple in his memory. He was frozen to the spot, afraid to advance in case she disappeared in a puff of smoke and he found himself shivering alone in bed again, reeling from his dream and not knowing where to turn for comfort.

Maria peered at the Captain as he halted his steps and she slowly moved towards him. Her inner voice dared herself to take the initiative. She stopped right in front of him.

"Hello," she said and flashed him a brave smile.

Georg couldn't summon any words to describe how he was feeling. His heart started drumming out a staccato rhythm. In fact, it felt as if it was beating too fast and would explode. Just the sweet sound of Maria's voice ignited a passion deep within him, but he needed to be positive that this was real, that SHE was real. He slipped off his mask. Then, similar to a month or so ago, when he had sat in his study tracing a photograph of her, Georg gradually raised one hand up and touched Maria's mask. It was cold as his fingers caressed the tactile indents on it, so he slid his digits downwards and across her warm, moist lips a few times in order to convince himself that this wasn't just another cruel trick of the mind.

"Maria," he breathed and positioned his hand back against the cheekbone of her porcelain mask.

The correct words were still eluding Georg. That didn't seem to matter though, because words were unnecessary and inadequate to convey all that he wanted to say, so he plumped for action instead. He knew it was a risk, knew that Maria might reject him, but a faint heart never won a fair maiden. He slowly and softly pressed his lips against her lips. The kiss was the most erotic he'd ever experienced. The sensation of the cool mask underneath his hand, as well as the way his fingers stroked over the bumpy grooves upon it tantalized his senses; it acted as a seductive veil and only intensified his desire to touch the velvety flesh it hid. In contrast to the icy, hard shell of the mask, her full lips were so warm and compliant against his. He could taste chocolate and strawberry. It was Heaven. SHE was Heaven. Maria circled her arms around Georg's neck and whimpered as he deepened their kiss. Her heart surrendered to his will completely and as they broke their embrace to catch their breaths, both feeling giddy, she took off her mask.

Maria gazed into his eyes and smiled. "You forgot to say 'hello' to me," she laughed.

Georg laughed heartily too, his cheeks gaining a red hue to them. "How terribly remiss of me. Hello. . .Maria," he retorted as he held her close, "may I please request a dance with the most beautiful woman in the room?"

"I don't know, I think she may have slipped out for some fresh air. Will I do instead, Georg?" she modestly quipped.

"I was referring to you, Darling and you know it," he buzzed and kissed her again before proudly leading her onto the dance-floor.

* * *

 **Loved writing this chapter I must say. I know that the first ever New Year's Day concert in Vienna didn't occur until in 1939, but hey, what's a year or two between friends? Call it poetic licence.**


	6. Just Another Fractured Fairytale?

**A/N:** Okay, I lied. There is one more chapter to come after this. I've split the ending up as I think it works better this way. The big finale was too long to post as one chapter.

* * *

 **Just Another Fractured Fairytale?**

As the ball started to wind down to a gentler pace, the lighting was dimmed down to a soft glow. A distinct drone of idle chatter could be heard floating across the airwaves, as well as the carefree clinking of crystal Champagne flutes toasting 'good health'. A handful of merrymakers were already slipping out into the snow and embarking on the mad dash home to join their loved ones just in time for Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, the conductor of the orchestra was wielding his baton, almost like a wand, and casting a spell of perpetual motion upon the last remaining dancing couples, who seemed compelled to spin and sway in perfect time to his adagio arrangement.

Georg and Maria stood shoe to shoe, and cheek to cheek, upon the dance-floor as they slowly rocked together to the music. Neither had spoken much. They'd both been too caught up in the moment. . .enjoying being in each other's arms and exchanging tender kisses whenever the mood took them. Georg had his eyes closed and his arms securely locked around Maria. He let all sense of himself fade away, ignoring the scores of envious eyes that followed the two of them around the room. Not even the catty comments being so openly made by his peers could offend his heart tonight. Georg had been drawn into Maria's warm world and cared for nothing outside of it; he was cosy and content.

After a short while though, Georg's irascible inner voice woke up from it's spellbound slumber, seemingly dead set upon bulldozing his current peace of mind -

 **Snap out of it and have a word with yourself, Georg! You might've won a meaningless wager with Max, but a concert ticket is your prize. . .NOT Maria. The odd kiss changes nothing. She'll be locked behind the iron gates of that damn convent again before you can say 'Blue Strawberries' and you'll be left with what? A broken heart and an unhappy ever after to this fractured fairytale of yours!**

All of a sudden, Georg's shoes felt as though they were being clamped to the floor by some sort of Lilliputian anchors and he gradually stilled his dancing feet. He felt dreadfully disorientated by the savage storm his mind seemed intent on brewing. Georg pulled away from Maria and stared at her blankly, as though she was a puzzle he was struggling to work out. Then he decided to ask the question on the tip of his tongue, knowing the answer could either make or break him.

"Maria, don't think that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here, so far away from Nonnberg Abbey, I mean?"

Maria frowned in confusion. After Georg's embraces, she had just surmised that he had known about her not being a postulant any-more. She thought it reasonable to assume that Elsa had told Max, who had then told Georg, but seeing the wary expression on his face now and hearing the words he'd just spoken, that obviously hadn't been the case.

Maria sighed. "I left the Abbey a couple of months ago. I'll always regret the way I left you and the children, the night of the party. I apologize. I behaved badly. But it DID give me a much needed chance to re-evaluate my life and I realized, after much soul searching, that I was never meant to be a nun," she explained earnestly.

Georg eyes widened in disbelief. "You left? You're not. . .a nun, but. . ." he stuttered, not sure which of the thoughts buzzing around his brain to set free first.

"No and it's lucky for you that I'm not. I know Jesus preached about loving thy neighbour, but I don't think he would have been too impressed with the way you greeted me if I WERE a nun, Georg," she joked, making an effort to keep the tone light between them and generating a deep rumble of laughter from him. "I'm actually a dressmaker now. I CAN make my own clothes. . .remember," she giggled, echoing the words she had spoken to him when they had first met at the villa and motioning to her ball gown, "I'm living in Mondsee, a good friend employs me in her shop there," Maria added.

Georg wanted to press her for more detailed information - What EXACTLY had Elsa said to her on the evening of that party? Why hadn't Maria spoken to HIM before she had decided to flee to Nonnberg? Why didn't she return to the villa once she had left the Abbey? - but there would be plenty of time for serious discussion in the future. Georg was determined not to allow shadows of the past to darken his convivial mood or ruin what had been a perfect evening so far. Thus, he shifted Maria into her previous position, pressed her close to his body and started to dance again.

"I'm just so glad you're here now. . .with me. Gladder still that you're wearing this dress. I. . .uh. . .haven't been able to take my eyes off you all evening. I think that maybe on some subconscious level, I knew it was you. I must admit though, I was half sure you would send me away with my tail between my legs, after watching you refuse to dance with every man in the room. Why did you?" he murmured, unable to resist faintly nipping at her neck with his lips.

"Hmmm?" she emitted, left dazzled by his teasing touches. "Oh well, I guess since you and I last danced together, I just haven't found the right partner," she claimed, after composing herself.

Georg raised his head to gaze into her eyes. "And have you found the right partner now, Maria?" he said softly, awaiting her reply with bated breath and hoping she would understand his wider implication.

"I think I have," Maria uttered meekly and then clarified more confidently, "I know I have," before the couple's lips met once more in a blazing kiss.

* * *

 **The title was a red Herring all along. Bwahaha! The next chapter will be longer and posted within the next day or so. . .Promise :D**


	7. Coming Clean

**A/N :** Confession time - I underestimated the difficulty of writing a certain scene in the film, so it has taken a bit longer than expected to finish my story. I watched that certain scene so many times, my brain hurts. Hehe! If it's technically wrong or anything, let me know in a review, so I can change it. Hopefully it's okay though. Also, I lied again. . .one more chapter after this one :D

* * *

 **Coming Clean**

Max had been keeping a beady eye on proceedings from a distance and was feeling quite smug about how well everything was progressing, but knew there was no time to rest upon his laurels. There was still work to be done. Elsa had managed to divert Alese and Pascal to the courtyard before they could even think of intruding on Maria and Georg. In fact, Elsa was now gleefully giving chapter and verse to the brother and sister duo about what was going on. As for Max, he was making his way towards the Christmas tree and was about to execute the last stage of their plan. . .coming clean. As he approached Georg and Maria, who were just about illuminated by the sparkling, white, fairy lights on the tree, he could see them conversing in hushed tones, in between canoodling, that is.

Max smirked and cleared his throat. "Ahem, Georg, do you think you could put Maria down long enough for ME to say 'hello' to her? I'm sure she'd like to hear all about my escapades as 'Head Elf' to your Secret Santa," he baited, knowing questions would follow his cryptic comment.

Georg reluctantly separated from Maria and then faced his friend with a frustrated, little huff. "Head Elf?! Secret Santa?! What on earth are you bumbling on about, Max? I see you have managed to find time to pickle your brain with alcohol while I have been. . .uh. . .otherwise pleasantly engaged," he ridiculed and winked at Maria, who appeared to be tickled by their banter.

"Not at all. I've hardly even touched a drop. I'm just here to explain that you two being invited here tonight was no mere coincidence. Neither was me leading you to Maria, Georg. Your Secret Santa spent months planning this reunion with military precision you'd be proud of, and with a smidgen of help from me, naturally," Max took immense pleasure in revealing.

"I don't understand. How is that even possible?" Georg asked, giving his old friend a sceptical look and then grinning when he thought he had caught Max out in his ridiculous ruse. "Hold on, Maria was wearing a mask. How could you kn-"

"Simple really. Not only did your Secret Santa use her well-placed contacts to get you two on the guest list for this prestigious ball, but she also helped Maria with her dress design. That's how I was able to recognize her," Max cut in, causing her to gasp when mentioned. "Although I must admit that. . .Maria refusing to dance with me and the matter of the wager were slight deviations from our original plan, but you love-birds are together, so it all worked out well in the end," he reasoned.

Maria had worked out the identity of Georg's so-called 'Secret Santa' in an instant after hearing the remark about her dress and one could have knocked her down with a feather at the revelation. "Max, does that mean she's here then?" she quizzed.

Georg frowned in complete confusion and glanced from Maria to Max a few times. "You KNOW who this mystery benefactor is?" he finally asked her.

She nodded vaguely, "I think so, but perhaps I should let her reveal herself. After all the trouble she's evidently gone through to arrange this surprise, I think she deserves to take credit for her actions in person."

Max smiled kindly at her. "Well said, Maria. Very sporting of you. Now, if you two will follow me please, I'm about to let the cat quite literally out of the bag," he chuckled and ushered the couple to the courtyard.

* * *

The fine film of snow that coated the inner courtyard - from the grey paving stones to the rooftops - made the whole scene seem otherworldly, especially against the backdrop of the blushing sky which hung over Austria that night. Thankfully, the snow had stopped falling for now and it was a bit chilly, but not intolerably so. When Georg and Maria followed Max outside, the first thing they noticed was the imposing monument to Emperor Franz I, one time leader of the Austrian Empire; he stood tall in his toga, surrounded by four female statues. . .Faith, Might, Peace and Justice. Georg's chest filled with patriotic pride as he studied them. The thought crossed his mind that they certainly had quite the distinguished audience for whatever madness Max had up his sleeve.

As the trio wandered further into the courtyard, some movement deflected their attention away from the statues and onto two people dancing. One was a woman in a half masquerade mask; it was silver with the ears and the facial features of a cat. The woman was tall and slim, and she appeared to be teaching a young, blonde boy how to waltz. Without warning, Georg came to a standstill and his eyebrows raised in shock when he recognized the child.

"Kurt, what the devil. . ." he trailed off, words failing him.

Georg watched in shock and his jaw dropped, as the two figures stopped what they were doing and faced him with mischievous grins on their faces.

Elsa took off her mask, patted the boy on the head and spoke up, "I was just showing Kurt here some moves to impress the ladies with."

Then she whispered something in Kurt's ear, sharing a conspiring wink with the boy before he went to stand next to Maria, who lingered quietly beside Georg.

Seeing Elsa again, Georg couldn't shake the cocktail of negative emotions pouring through his bloodstream all of a sudden. He felt angry at her, angry at the pain her past actions had inflicted on his family and on him. He felt resentment that she had used Maria as a pawn to be sacrificed in her twisted love game. He felt doubt about her supposed good intentions now. And last of all, he felt fear that Elsa had ulterior motives, that she was there to ruin things for him again. He aimed a glare worthy of Medusa in her direction. It was a wonder she wasn't now immortalized in stone, just like Emperor Franz I.

Georg stepped in front of Maria in a protective manner. "Elsa, I know what you did last summer and whatever it is that you have to say, I don't want to hear it!" he snapped and saw the smile of the Baroness fade into a hurt look.

He was about to really let fly and give her a piece of his mind until he felt a forceful grip upon his arm. He whirled around quickly to see Maria regarding him reproachfully. She was using a look on him that she often used to silence the children whenever they were bickering and he felt like he was in short pants again.

"Georg. . .Elsa and I are friends now. She visited me in Mondsee. In fact, she bought me this ball gown as an apology for what happened at the villa and I happily accepted it. We have all done things in the past that we regret. . .you should understand that more than most. . .but to err is human and to forgive divine. Give her a chance to explain things. . .please. . .do it for me, if not for yourself," she urged.

As Georg listened to her plea, his distemper was rapidly overridden by fierce feelings of adoration and unconditional love for Maria. She was so forgiving and kind-hearted. To him, there was never any doubt, she was an angel of light sent to battle the cynic inside him, the dark-hearted demon that clung to his shirt-tails from time to time. Maria always brought out the best in Georg and he knew that she was right. He would be considered a massive hypocrite if he did not at least hear Elsa out. He flashed Maria his trademark half smile, kissed her on the forehead and nodded, before steering Elsa over to the statues to talk privately.

* * *

Elsa had only ever revealed her side of the story to one person, the Reverend Mother and that had been under duress. After her chat with the nun over the phone, a few months ago, Elsa had formed the opinion that the woman could teach the Gestapo a trick or two about interrogation tactics and often laughed about the fact. The woman had refused to provide Elsa with information about Maria's whereabouts without knowing the exact nature of her business with the ex-postulant; therefore, Elsa had confessed everything and it had been a cathartic experience in the end. The Reverend Mother had offered an impartial ear and had commended Elsa for attempting to atone for all her previous misdemeanours. This felt different though. Elsa had the distinct feeling that Georg might be a much tougher nut to crack, a more stubborn one anyway, and she was pretty nervous. She'd missed him and was desperate for him to accept how sorry she was for the grief she had caused him and his family. There was a lot at stake. . .a valued friendship.

Despite her many misgivings, she took a deep breath and laid her soul bare. Elsa told him how she'd played on Maria's naivety and good nature in order to instigate the young woman's return to Nonnberg Abbey. Elsa also admitted that she had been frightened of losing him, of losing his companionship, deep down. She explained that since meeting Georg at a dinner party, three years ago, he'd been a steadying presence in her life. . .always there on her arm for social occasions, always there if she required any business advice, always there to listen to her gossiping or share her troubles, always there to steal her from loneliness, always just there. . .and she had seen Maria as a threat to all that.

"Georg, I'm not saying all this to justify or excuse my behaviour. I just want you to place yourself in my shoes and try to understand that I was driven by fear. . .not malice. I feared that once you had Maria, I'd go back to the days of turning up at social gatherings alone. . .friends pitying me. . .and parading me in front of countless single men. . .some more eligible than others. . .but all more interested in my bank balance than in me. You always saw beyond my wealth, Georg. . .and I enjoyed our time together. I thought with Maria out the picture, I could make it work between us. . .but I was foolish. I saw just how devastated you were after she had gone, even though you tried to hide it, and that is when the truth hit me. . .that what we had wasn't the real thing. . .that we were never in love, so I made my excuses and left the villa. I truly am sorry for the pain I have caused," Elsa cited, her voice wavering and her top lip quivering with emotion.

As Georg scrutinized her carefully, he could see genuine remorse etched on her face. He had been so consumed by anger and heartache, after Maria had left him, that he selfishly hadn't even considered Elsa's feelings OR her point of view.

He took her hands in his and spoke, his voice laced with compassion, "I'm at fault here too. I invited you to my home with clear intentions of stepping up our relationship. . .integrating you into my family. . .and when everything changed, when I realized I. . .uh. . .loved Maria, I didn't handle the situation very well. I should have just been honest with you and for that, I'm sorry, Elsa."

"Do you think we can still be friends?" she requested hopefully.

Georg lifted her hands up to his lips, kissed them in a friendly gesture and smiled. "Of course. Always," he reassured before they both headed back towards the rest of their party.

* * *

 **Hopefully the bit of angst in this chapter balances the sweetness that follows in the next. Be a Devil. . .leave me a review and let me know ;)**


	8. The Captain of her Heart

**A/N -** Oh well. . .this is it, the final chapter of my story, unless anyone has any ideas that make me think otherwise. Please enjoy!

* * *

 **The Captain of her Heart**

When Georg finally rejoined Max, he was bowled over by the spectacle that greeted him and wondered how he hadn't noticed what was being set up before. He had obviously been too distracted by his heart to heart with Elsa and he recalled that she HAD turned him around to face the statues. . .strategically, it seemed. Georg gaped in utter disbelief at the four musicians now sat upon chairs in the middle of the snow-covered courtyard. It was a string quartet and they were starting to play a melody that occupied a special spot in his heart. He flicked his eyes around in search of Maria and spotted her dancing with Kurt a few yards away.

Elsa tapped Georg upon the shoulder before he could move his feet though and he twirled to face her. "I always felt guilty about interrupting your Ländler with Maria. It should've been your perfect moment. . .and now it still can be. This is the final gift to you. . .from me, your Secret Santa. Happy Christmas. . .friend!" she stated with a soft smile and kissed his cheek.

"Merry Christmas. . .friend," he muttered.

Georg was choked up, but managed to thank Elsa before she sauntered over to Pascal, linking her arm through his and looking happier than she had in a long time.

Then Max stepped forward. "One more thing. . .just before you go and join Maria. . .you won our little wager, so here are a pair of tickets for the concert. There's an extra one, courtesy of Santa's 'Head Elf', in case you want to take someone special. I'll book a hotel of your choice and pay for it, once you two sort out the. . .ah. . .arrangements," he offered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Georg rolled his eyes, but laughed as he took the two tickets and stored them in his inside pocket. He thanked Max, gave him a brotherly hug and eagerly approached Maria and Kurt.

* * *

"Do allow me, will you?"

"Hhmm," Kurt nodded and went to stand by Elsa and Pascal.

Maria raised her hand to allow Georg to claim it and the couple promenaded side by side. They moved in a straight line and in rhythm with the music, but turned slightly, every so often, to make eye contact. Then, facing one another and with both hands joining, they took some steps in the opposite direction, interspersed with hopping motions, before he held her hand aloft and twirled her around a few times. Georg was utterly entranced as he watched Maria turning; she was as graceful as a ballerina in a musical box to his way of thinking and twice as delicate.

As the dance wore on, the pair stood eye to eye with their arms entwined and they circled around each other, sharing a shy smile as they did so. It was just like when they'd first done the Ländler together. Then, after completing a series of nimble pirouettes around the square, Georg grudgingly spun Maria away from him. With his hands at shoulder height, he clapped and stamped his foot down strongly to the beat, almost as though he was demanding her attention right back on him. Meanwhile, Georg treated his eyes to the sweet sight of Maria's figure; he inspected every inviting inch of her meticulously, as she hitched up her dress and pranced around him, blissfully unaware of the attention he was paying to her now exposed calves.

Once the more carnal chapter of the dance commenced, Georg and Maria felt their temperatures rising despite the winter weather conditions. The was no disguising the desire present in their eyes and they ironically wondered why the stifling heat engulfing their bodies wasn't melting the snow. He grasped her hand from over his shoulder and manoeuvred her in front of him again. Then he pulled her close. . .into what was a submissive dancing position; one of Maria's hands was trapped above her head by Georg's and he wrapped his other hand around her waist and behind her back to restrain her second hand there. He had her exactly where he wanted her. He held her captive. . .not only with his body, but with his soul too as he stared deep into her eyes while they enacted the final few seductive spins of the dance. Only when there were no more steps left to perform did they freeze like musical statues, but this was no mere children's game. . .on the contrary, this was the racy prelude to a kiss.

The musicians continued to play, but in a muted tone as Georg and Maria stood transfixed and remained suspended in their last dancing pose. For long moments, neither of them moved a muscle and their awareness of the world around them was clouded. Georg's mind, as usual, had been easily enslaved by Maria's beckoning, blue eyes and vice versa. . .with only one inevitable outcome. He slowly inched his lips as close to hers as they could go, without actually touching them, and he paused to breathe in the very air she exhaled, wishing to feel her lifeblood flow through him. Then, when the wait to taste her again became too much to bear, Georg kissed Maria with an impatient urgency.

* * *

"ACHEW!"

Georg and Maria reluctantly broke away from the kiss after a minute or two and their mouths dispersed clouds of condensation into the cold night air at a fast rate, while they took some time out to catch their ragged breaths. Their embrace had just been disrupted by a loud sneeze emanating from Kurt, which had provoked strangled sniggers from all the other adults, far off in the background, all amused at the boy's bad timing. Even his father and Maria, who still held each other close, now laughed lightly at the situation.

Once everyone had quietened down though, Georg decided there was only one more thing that could make this moment - this evening - more perfect than it already was, as a thousand-and-one thoughts about Maria were vying to be set free from his head.

Therefore, he framed her face in his hands and spoke his heart, "Maria, when you went away. . .I secretly fell apart. . .thinking I would never see you again and it hurt like hell. I felt so lost. . .alone, cast adrift in the darkness. " Georg paused for a moment and looked down, the bitter taste of painful memories causing his throat to constrict.

Seeing his obvious distress, Maria suddenly felt guilty that she had been the cause of it. "I'm sorry, Georg. . .I-" she began to apologise.

But his head shot back up and he placed a finger over her lips, hastily cutting her off. "No, Maria, you don't understand. The point I'm clumsily trying to make is. . .I'd gladly endure any amount of hardship. . .I'd endure navigating through that darkness a million times over. . .if it meant there was just a chance of me bathing in your celestial light at the end of it. I love you, Fräulein and it's my sincerest wish to never be parted from you again. I want you to marry me. . .uh. . .I ask you to marry me?" Georg implored tenderly and moved his finger from her lips to wipe away the trickle of tears that now ran down her cheek.

Maria smiled and then, with the odd sniffle, said, "I was just as miserable without you in my life and even though there was distance between us. . .you were still the Captain of my heart. I thought of you constantly. I love you too, Georg and yes, a thousand times, yes. I'll marry you."

As her words embraced his ears, Georg could not contain his sense of elation. His heart jumped for joy and he lifted Maria clean off her feet, pressing his lips to hers swiftly as he did. At that moment, Kurt - who had crept closer to the couple to spy on them - started applauding and let out a boisterous, "Hooray! They're getting married!" while the other adults shouted, "Congratulations!" and clapped along with him.

Hearing the commotion, Georg broke away from Maria and settled her gently back on the ground as the couple matched each other, laugh for laugh and blush for blush. He beckoned Kurt to join them and slipped his arm around Maria's waist.

"I think it's high time for us to go home and join the rest of our family for the festivities," Georg suggested and was about to lead his fiancée and his son away until he felt Maria refuse to move.

"Wait a minute," she demanded and raised herself on her tiptoes to whisper in her Captain's ear.

As he listened to her, his lips curled up into a smile of adoration and then he turned to make an announcement, "Maria and myself would like to formally invite you all. . .Max, Elsa, Alese and Pascal. . .to join us for the Christmas period at the villa. It will be a double celebration because we'll be toasting our engagement as well as the birth of our Lord, so we want all of our friends present. . .and Max, of course."

At that, everybody laughed and heartily accepted the invitation, agreeing to arrive at the von Trapp residence before dinnertime on Christmas Eve. Once the arrangements were made, they all started to wander off the courtyard to make their journeys home, but before they did, Max and Elsa shared a hidden high five and a self-satisfied smirk **\- Mission 'Secret Santa' had most certainly been an overwhelming success.**

* * *

 **Maybe one day I'll write about the Christmas the characters spend together. For now though, it's time to box this one off & move onto something different :)**


End file.
